Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso officially dump ECOWAS

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On Wednesday, the Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, formally acknowledged the departure of Burkina Faso, Mali, and the Niger Republic, three of its former members.

After a one-year notice period ended, the trio’s departure took effect on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

However, until further notice, ECOWAS requested that its member nations continue to recognize the national passports of the three nations that contain the ECOWAS insignia in the interest of regional cooperation.

The ECOWAS Authority stated in a statement that it is still open to further discussions with the three nations and asked its member states to accept national passports and identity cards with the ECOWAS insignia that are held by nationals of the departing nations until further notice.

The West African bloc also called on its members to keep treating goods and services from the three nations in line with the investment policy and the ECOWAS Trade Liberalization Scheme (ETLS).

Additionally, it asked member states to support and cooperate fully with ECOWAS officials from the three affected countries during their Community assignments, and to permit citizens of the three countries to continue to enjoy the right of visa-free movement, residence, and establishment in accordance with the ECOWAS protocols until further notice.

“These arrangements will be in place until the full determination of the modalities of our future engagement with the three countries by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

“The Commission has set up a structure to facilitate discussions on these modalities with each of the three countries. This message is necessary to avoid confusion and disruption in the lives and businesses of our people during this transition period,” the statement concluded.

Recalling that a large number of people demonstrated in Niger and Burkina Faso on Tuesday in favor of their nations’ planned Wednesday exit from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

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